Half parabolic dish reflector with planar reflector solar smelter

ABSTRACT

Melting metals using solar energy is not new, but is new is making the technology ergonomic, and easy to use. Invented is a half-shell-parabolic-dish reflector, which has in front an adjustable flat planar reflector. When the sun is overhead, the sunlight reflects off the flat planar reflector to a half-shell-parabolic-dish, which redirects the light to a crucible for smelting metals, which is also the focus of the sunlight. The entire assembly rotates on top of a turntable, which can be steel wheel, floating on compressed air, bicycle wheels, or other suitable methods. The entire assembly rotates about a crucible located at the focal of the sun&#39;s rays. A smaller version of the smelter can be used for solar cooking.

FIELD OF INVENTION

Invented is a parabolic reflector with a frontal planar reflector that can focus the sun's energy, so as to smelt metals, process chemicals or cook food.

PRIOR ART

Melting metals with sunlight has been known art and science for several decades.

Cottle (U.S. Pat. No. 608,755, issued Aug. 9, 1898) illustrates the early art using a curved reflector to direct sunlight into a thermal storage receiver. The curved reflector operates on a circular track.

Rabl (U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,740, issued Nov. 16, 1976) illustrates a curved reflector, shaped like a sea shell, that reflects light to a focus.

Pauly (U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,733, issued Jan. 4, 1977) illustrates a solar furnace, which vaporizes carbon for production of hydrogen.

Kravitz (U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,864, issued Dec. 9, 1980) illustrates a focusing solar collector in a parabolic shape using an adjustable drape angle.

Qader (U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,590, issued Apr. 15, 1986) illustrates how focused solar energy can process shale into oil using pyrolysis.

Watkins (U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,857, issued Sep. 16, 1986) illustrates the use of the sun for cutting, shaping and polishing of materials.

Winston (U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,958, issued Apr. 9, 1991) illustrates how high flux solar energy can be used to focus the sun's energy to high resolution.

Tarcici (U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,399, issued Feb. 25, 1992) illustrates a foldable parabolic reflector that can be used to cook food.

Pande (U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,832, issued Aug. 18, 1992) illustrates how solar thermal energy can be used to create rocket thrust.

Chauvet (U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,318, issued Apr. 20, 1993) illustrates a sun tracking solar concentrator.

Edelson (U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,853, issued Oct. 3, 1995) illustrates a method of production of steel, using solar energy and other renewables as energy input.

Smalley (U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,517, issued Sep. 17, 1996) illustrates the use of solar energy to make high temperatures to make Fullerenes.

Horne (U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,434, issued Mar. 16, 1999) illustrates a parabolic concentrator that focuses an offset configuration.

Clark (U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,988, issued Aug. 19, 2003) illustrates a solar oven using multiple zones for concentrators.

Rogers (U.S. Pat. No. 6,936,760, issued Aug. 30, 2005) illustrates a space based solar system.

Jensen (U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,181, issued Nov. 28, 2006) illustrates a solar processing reactor for gases.

Murphy (U.S. Pat. No. 7,299,633, issued Nov. 27, 2007) illustrates a solar power system for using molten salt for thermal storage.

Mecham (U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,843, issued Mar. 4, 2008) illustrates the use of fiber optics for converting oil shale, oil sand, asphaltic crude oil, and other underground carbon for liquefacation.

All of the above art illustrate that solar energy can be used for high temperature applications, including processing of chemicals. The invented device improves upon this art.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTED DEVICE

Use of solar energy for mankind's benefit has been a known technology since the beginning. It is a commonly known fact that a parabolic shape can focus intense solar energy unto a small area, much like a magnifying glass pointed at the sun. When focused in sufficient quantity, the intense energy can be used to melt metals, process chemicals, or cook food. The invented device improves upon the art of focusing the sun's energy so that it can produce high temperatures for chemical processing.

The invented device consist of a half-shell-parabolic-reflector that is reflective on the inside. In front is a half-circular-planar-reflector that is adjustable, so as to reflect sunlight into the interior of the half-shell-parabolic-reflector. The half-shell-parabolic-reflector then redirects the sunlight to a focus, located at ground level. At the focal can be a crucible, that is placed on a pedestal, so as to process materials, like metal, at high temperatures. The entire assembly rotates about the focal and crucible, rotating on a turntable (like) system. Illustrated are bicycle wheels located on the side and rear, however, the turntable can be floating on water, floating on air, or be mounted on railroad tracks, or concrete monorail tracks.

In front of the half-shell-parabolic-reflector is a half-circular-planar-reflector that is tiltable using a system of pulleys and weights. The half-circular-planar-reflector can be adjusted so as to direct sunlight inwards towards the half-shell-parabolic-reflector.

The half-circular-planar-reflector has triangular cut-a-way that allows access to the crucible and pedestal. The net result is a easy to use, ergonomic method of smelting metals, processing chemicals or to cook food.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTED DEVICE

FIG. 1 shows a perspective of the invented device. Shown is a half-shell-parabolic-reflector (1) that has an interior reflective surface. In front, is a half-circular-planar-reflector (2), that is tiltable and adjustable, according the location of the sun (3). The half-circular-planar-reflector (2) is hinged (9) at the corners of the half-shell-parabolic-reflector (1). The half-circular-planar-reflector (2) is adjusted in height by a pulley-and-cable assembly (5). The half-circular-planar-reflector (2) has a counter-weight-ballast (7) located centrally and at the top of the half-shell-planar-reflector (2). The sun's energy focuses onto a crucible (11) located at the focal of the sun's energy and on top of a pedestal (12). The crucible (11) can alternatively be buried in the ground. The entire invented device is rotated around a vertical and central axis, located at the crucible (11), much like a turntable. Shown are bicycle wheels (4), but the invented device can be floated on a turntable floating on water or compressed air, or rotated on steel tracks or concrete monorails, or other methods.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the invented device. Shown is a half-shell-parabolic-reflector (1) that has an interior reflective surface. In front, is a half-circular-planar-reflector (2), that is tiltable and adjustable according to the location of the sun (3). The half-circular-planar-reflector (2) is hinged (9) at the corners of the half-shell-parabolic-shell (1). The half-circular-planar-reflector (2) has a counter-weight-ballast (7) located centrally and at the top of the half-circular-planar-reflector (2). Shown also is a wrench (6) for adjusting the pulley-and-cable assembly (5). Shown also are bicycle wheels (4) on the side of the half-shell-parabolic-reflector (1), and another bicycle wheel (8) on the backside of the half-shell-parabolic (1). The entire invented device rotates around a vertical and centrally located axis, tracking the sun (3). Reflection is shown by straight arrows.

FIG. 3 shows a frontal view of the invented device. A half-shell-parabolic dish (1) reflects light to a focus (11), where located is a crucible (11) on top of a pedestal (12). The focus (11) can alternatively be at ground level, thus allowing the crucible (11) to be partially buried in the ground. In front is a half-circular-planar-reflector (2) that is held in place by a pulley-and-cable (5) assembly. A counter-weight-ballast (7) helps to keep the half-circular-planar-reflector stable (2), even in wind. Centrally located inside the half-circular-planar-reflector (2) is a triangular cut-a-way (10) that also allows access to the focal and crucible (11) located on the pedestal (12). On the side is a hinge (9) that allows the half-circular-planar-reflector (2) to tilt to the desired angle. On the side are bicycle wheels (4) that allow the entire invented device to rotate like a turntable, rotating about a vertical axis located at the focal (11). Bicycle wheels (4) are not necessarily the only method of rotating the entire invented device. The invented device can be rotated on a turntable floating on water, floating on air, or on a concrete monorail track or steel rail track, or other methods.

FIG. 4 shows the half-circular-planar-reflector (2). At top is a pulley-and-cable (5) assembly with a counter-weight-ballast (7). The half-circular-planar-reflector (2) is hinged (9) to the half-shell-parabolic-reflector. The sun's energy (3) reflects off the half-circular-planar-reflector into the half-shell-parabolic-reflector so as to focus the sun's (3) energy onto metals to be smelted, or chemicals to be processed, or to cook food. Shown also is the cut-a-way triangular area (10) that allows access to the smelting and cooking area. Shown also are the side bicycle wheels (4) that are used to rotate the entire invented device to track the sun. 

1. A method of smelting metals, processing chemicals or cooking food, using a half-shell-parabolic-reflector, said half-shell-parabolic-reflector with a tiltable half-circular-planar-reflector in front, with said half-circular-planar-reflector hinged to the corners of the half-shell-parabolic-reflector, the half-circular-planar-reflector containing a cut-a-way triangle located centrally, the half-shell-parabolic-reflector rotatable around a central and vertical axis, means to track the sun and focus the sun's energy onto a crucible for processing said metals, chemicals and food. 